The ramblings of a pilgrim through time, space, and life.

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Eagle

One of the best parts about being able to spray is that you have a nearly endless amount of time to think about anything you choose. What a wonderful opportunity. I hear of these people who are bored with their job, or have nothing to do, and even this job, that it is so boring. Well, that tells the state of their mind doesn’t it? What a wonderful opportunity. It is like the old fairy tale of the hero getting into the cave of precious gems, with only one stipulation, that he can have any one he wants, but only one. How sad that so many people choose to leave the cave with no gem, or with a tawdry, poor quality gem.

Anyhow, when I arrived at Larry’s this morning, he asked me about my meeting with Larry and Lori Kaye Gleim. I told him about my experience and what it was they said. He was disappointed that she did not want to get to know the family any. He told me that he broke his leg and ended up staying with Donald and Carolyn for a time. For about 4 1/2 months, nearly every day he would stay with baby Lori Kaye and take care of her. He said he would never forget holding her on his knee and how beautiful she was. He said there are some similarities between Toni and Lori Kaye, but he considered Lori Kaye beautiful as a baby. That was only confirmed when he met her at her Grandfather’s, Harley Jepsen, funeral. He said he could see the point of her keeping it quiet, but just did not understand it.

It was an interesting starter thought for the day. I sprayed for a couple of hours thinking about that. I think of the doctrine that at the last day all things shall be made known. Those things which are secret shall be shouted from the rooftops. Now, whether that has any bearing on me, I do not know. However, Lori Kaye’s mother, and Lori Kaye will some day have to face that. At some point, Lori Kaye’s own children will have to be told who is their biological grandfather. At some point, Carolyn, for what reason she is hiding all this, pride, children’s hearts, or something else, will have to face it an answer it. It will all have to be sorted out. Especially someone who is where she is now, you would hope the wife of a Stake President would be more honest with her own family. The wife of a High Councilman, who is a representative to a student stake, would also be more honest with their own family. Anyhow, to each their own. However, I would feel that I would seek to know the man to whom I was born in the covenant to. The man to whom untold priesthood blessings will come to me.

I finally took a moment to drive near the elementary school, and notice the foundation of the old Evan’s store still there across the street (the old Malad High School). It was Diane Evans Spackman’s grandparents store. (I stayed with the Spackman family in Eagle last year. She told me about it last year, finally I took the time to pay attention to see if I could see it. It is still there.

I sprayed this lady’s lawn who was in the back yard while I was working. We started talking. She told me about her husband’s death in February (Bill Price). She told me about his death, how it happened, and how she is struggling. I was not sure how to reply. But I just listened. She asked me about my winter and I told her about my marriage. She was excited and told me about her marriage. Eventually, I found out she currently lives in what was her parents house. Then, found out her father was a four term Senator to the state of Idaho. She asked me if I liked to read, and I told her I did and biographies were my favorite. I told her I was currently reading a biography on Borah. She then told me that U.S. Senator Borah was a friend of her father. In fact, she remembered her father and Sen. Borah talking on the front porch of that house. I was surprised. She told me about her memories of the man. Who would have thought I could get personal testimony on a man whose biography I was reading at the time. I was very impressed with how genuine Helen Daniels Price was. I spent a good half hour visiting with her about the lives of others. She was a librarian in Malad for 25 years or so. Such great people in the world everywhere.

At some down time, I read some of the Nuffer family history that Larry gave to me. It was a very interesting read about Neuffen, Germany. Also some of the surrounding towns my family is from. It was interesting to learn that John Nuffer (son of John Christoph Nuffer, my Great, Great, Great Grandfather) studied architecture and building in Stuttgart before converting and coming to America. That is why he ended up building so many buildings including the Oneida Academy. He also worked on the Logan Temple. It was interesting to read his blessing by Apostle Teasdale and setting apart as a Seventy before going back to Germany for a mission. It will be interesting to read more.

I visited with Lorraine Dives today, whose son is Larry Dives, who lives in Pleasantview, and works at the Malad Post Office. We had a good visit about her yard and how it is improving. It is these types of experiences that I like. Mingling with those individuals who are the salt of the earth and go about doing their own thing.

Of other news, something to add to the usual surprises of life. Amanda returned home on Thursday evening to find that there was a fine layer of dust throughout the house. Originally, due to the dark nature of the dust, it was assumed to be coal dust. There are workers replacing the old coal furnace in the basement, and somehow they ended up shooting dust up into both apartments. Our landlord, John Payne, send a nice cleaning lady to take care of the problem. Saves us from having the clean the whole home I suppose. But it was not a happy thing for Amanda to discover.

Well, that will do for today. Tomorrow is spraying in Malad again. I have to admit, it is the only place in the country I know of, and somehow a great source of pride to me, that they fly an American flag on every other light pole on the main streets. The clincher, on the other poles there is a Welsh Flag. Reminded me of my mission, and I am excited that a city takes its heritage to heart and shows it. So many cities have become mainstream Babylonia. Here is a town who has not forgotten some of what it is and where it came from. Plus, I have a special place in my heart for Cymru. I even bought a Welsh Book of Mormon a while back and would like to learn to read it. I hope Malad is doing it for the right reasons, and continues to do it, for it is a wonderful thing.

Tomorrow Amanda and I attend Prairie Home Companion. I am really excited. Not that I have to leave at 5:30 in the morning to finish work in time, but that I am going to personally attend a Prairie Home Companion. I have always admired them, even from when I was in Junior High. Also, tomorrow night after Prairie Home Companion, Amanda and I attend the last Utah Temple, Ogden. That will complete our goal of attending all 11 temples. If we had time, I would like to get in both Idaho Temples (soon to be 4!).

Another crazy weekend. However, I am proud to announce I received 8 hours of sleep on Sunday! It was the first time in what must have been months. I woke up with a hang over though from something. Perhaps the body was not used to having so much rest. Who knows. Made my way down to Richmond again on Friday night. I took Erika to Twin Falls this time, rather than dropping her at Jerome or Burley. I stopped in Logan to pick up some books I ordered online. The autobiography of Burton K Wheeler and Huey P Long, also a biography of Frank Church. I am looking forward to reading them, although the one stenches of BO.

Amanda was able to come up and meet me in Logan so we went out for some World Famous Aggie Ice Cream. The line proved that there were plenty of people desiring ice cream that late at night. It must have been 9:30 and the place was crammed full of people. Then to top it off, this lady stood and chatted with everyone at the cash register. I had partially eaten my toffee crunch ice cream cone before she finally departed the store. If somebody wants to get rich, they should invent an ice cream scoop that puts the ice cream clear to the bottom of the cone. Unless of course, you like your cooled air inside the cone, slightly condensed with diary moisture.

Out to Richmond, moved in for the nocturnal visit, and spent some quality time together. The Lundgreen’s had already gone to bed! I had to get to bed early so that I could rise and be ready for Brad to arrive at 6:15 for work. It seems I didn’t even fall to sleep the night went by so quickly and the alarm clock was off. Up, breakfast, and off we go to Preston. Sprayed lawns in Malad again. A great day. Visited St Johns, Pleasantview, and Malad in our spraying adventures. This lady up on the hill had a cool horse drawn buggy in her garage. We sat and visited with her about Grass Valley, California for a while. It was pretty interesting.

Now, I have to tell one of the highlights of the day. Lunch at the Dude Ranch Restaurant, Main Street, Malad, Idaho. By the look of things, it looked a bit dingy and run down, but good friendly hospitality Brad and I took our seat in a booth which was probably one of the originals from 1945. Definitely enjoyed the old bottle bottom glass separating the booths, which seems to have faded since the 70’s. We ordered a bacon cheese burger and I added a nice pineapple shake to my order. I had to get my fruit somehow and didn’t think the potatoes in the fries counted other than as a vegetable! They hand cut their fries. I had a curly fry that when I picked it up must have stretched out over a foot in length! Oh, they were delicious. The burger, home made patty, with everything freshly cut was so good. Oh yes, I have a new favorite in dining. Too bad it is so far off of my normal routes of travel. Eddies in Smithfield, Utah has some pretty darn good fries too! Not to mention their Bar-b-Que. Anyhow, Brad and I departed happy individuals from a good down home meal. Sometimes I get so darn tired of the other foods.

Made our way back to Preston discussing the problems of the world. Faith, diligence, and decision making in our lives. We discussed politics, Supreme Court, Presidential Appointment, Idaho, Franklin County, Utah, and the role of law. It was interesting. We discussed other things, but due to my age, have now slipped from memory.

In Richmond, I completed my online class, visited with the family for a bit, and headed out for the Jonas family reunion in small Mantua, Utah. Pulled in, drove around in circles at the Fish Haven Campground, and finally settled the car on a nice piece of grass. Thought to myself, “Self, visit a few, catch up, get some e-mails, and get the heck out of dodge.” Well, I appeared and various people came up and said hi and next thing I knew everyone was asking about Amanda and the rest of the year. I never knew I was in the loop with the Jonas clan. I thought I was descendant of a long dead brother whose family had fallen from the planet. Trying to gain some information and knowledge of the family had been difficult in the past. Now somehow, I was the center of attention and did not even come prepared. Well, I went and located my car (it was not where I swear I had just parked it!) and pulled out my computer. Sat down at the picnic table and started showing photos of the beloved Amanda. After two pictures, I caught them all by surprise by moving it to the Jonas and Coley pictures. Yep, had them then within my grasp. They were chatting and talking about old times. Laughing and identifying people in the pictures which I had given up hope on finding out who they were. After a good half hour of changing the subject from me to the Jonas pictures, I opened Personal Ancestral File and started showing what I had. They oohed and awed and started lining up to make sure I had the information correct, and gave me more. Well, by the end of my 4 hour stint, I had gathered the contact information for 8 separate families, and loaded into PAF 6 entire new families! I was pretty excited. So over the next months, via e-mail, those names and families will be fleshed out with dates and places. It turned out to be more productive than I though. I had thought the Jonas family was not interested in their genealogy and I was a lone sentinel trying to amass information. Alas, they are already lining up for me to put together a book and have it at the family reunion next year. The best part, the bond increased amongst us and for once, I felt a part of the extended Jonas Clan.

The moment arrived when I had to depart from Mantua. Off to Tremonton, I met Brad Hales again and we headed up to the Kasota home of the Ross’. We crashed the night there and Sunday morning arose for our final leg to Nampa. Brad was kind enough to prepare me a bowl of rolled oats. I love rolled oats, don’t get me wrong, but the amount of so much I could not place any milk into my already oversized bowl was a bit much. I felt like I had eaten too much afterwards. The honey in it was really good though! Hey, I lowered my cholesterol today!

We then made the trek to Nampa, and then Kuna, Idaho. On the route, we discussed Brigham Young, being led and inspired of heaven, recognizing that guidance, and Oliver Cowdery. Interspersed with our personal adventures, experiences, and stories. It was interesting.

Nampa we arrived at the Hales Homestead and enjoyed some quality family time. Really good Jello, and seared chicken too! Then off to church for the baby blessing, of which I was even invited to stand in! That was exciting. No relation whatsoever, but I got to stand in for the baby blessing. A very good testimony meeting, and then it was good bye. Brad and siblings all headed back to Utah, and I headed to Parma. Oh, I must comment, Brad’s sister, Amy agreed to go to Eastern Germany with me sometime to travel and do family history work. I am excited! Now just have to find that buried box of money…

Parma, Idaho was an experience finding. I thought it was just one of the next towns from Nampa. Nope. A few miles to Caldwell, then to Notus, then to Parma. It was like 30+ miles. Oh well, it was a beautiful Sunday drive. I was tempted just to go to Nyssa, Oregon too, but decided against it later. I found Parma, and took a stroll around the Roswell and Parma cemeteries for the Ross Clan. I don’t have a direct link to them, probably don’t but feel so compelled to assemble their family history. Hopefully the future will reveal why. I found 4 in Roswell, and 10 in Parma, including Charles Benjamin Ross. That I was excited about. Took a good drive around the area. They must be raising something like grapes or something. I have never seen the vines growing like that. The Roswell Cemetery was surrounded by them. There were also plenty of onion fields. I swear I could smell spearmint too, but never got out to go into the fields to see if I could find a field of spearmint. I also never realized Parma was the home of Parma farming implement. Learn something new every day!

Headed back to Eagle, and crashed for the rest of the afternoon. Did some catching up on the family history from Mantua, and visited on the phone.

On a sad note, I found out my 3rd Grade teacher, Ella Suhr passed away in June. I was hoping to at least write her and say thank you for the influence she had on my life. I suppose I will have to wait a while now.

Well, I will close. Hope it was not too long and tedious of an entry. It was a fascinating weekend, even though I am exhausted. The usual state I am in as of late. It is all worth it though. I only hope my body will endure it for a very long time.